Kimchibytes

A Law School Graduate Loving Life Abroad: Brian Williams

May 17, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

“I don’t share their opinion that life isn’t real if it doesn’t suck enough.” Essay by Brian Williams I wasn’t running away, trying to hide, or avoid anything by coming to Korea. Although, I can see how this is good place to do that. I was just looking to continue doing what I already knew I loved: traveling and seeing other cultures. However, I needed to do it in a responsible way and take care of my obligations back home; […]

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Categories: About Korea, ESL, netsidebar, photography, Seoul, South Korea, Teaching, too old to teach abroad, Visiting Korea • Tags: am I too old to teach abroad, Brian Williams, ESL, Haebangchon, is 30 too old, Korea, netsidebar, South Korea, teach abroaf, teach overseas, tefl, tesol, too old to teach abroad

Because Korean Kids Aren’t Cute and Life is Not What You Expected

May 16, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

When will this class end? Don’t people realize I have more important things to do this weekend? I need to photograph a band, organize an event, take a trip, plan a vacation, work on my blog, write an article, drink with friends, get laid, go shopping, explore, or apply for a master’s program. Oh hell, maybe I won’t do any of those things. Maybe I’ll just drink some wine and chill watching Netflix. Regardless, my life is all about the weekend. Being […]

Categories: About Korea, advice, cancer, culture, photography, Seoul, South Korea, Teaching, Visiting Korea • Tags: cancer, cancer scare, cute, ESL Teacher, happy, having cancer in korea, Korea, korean kids, Netflix, self help, South Korea, United States

So This is a Crack House

May 14, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

Silk/Juice, Crackhouse, and Cakeshop: could we possibly combine three stranger names into one event? Yet, on May 10th, Silk/Juice joined forces with Cakeshop in Itaewon to bring yet another memorable night of electronic jams. This was my first time at Cakeshop – a cool place. It’s small, uniquely lit, has awesome bartenders, and most importantly, has plenty of room for dancing. Rob McCall, and his army of DJ’s, delivered quality all night for those lucky enough in attendance. After […]

Categories: About Korea, culture, Events, Events, party, photography, silkjuice, Visiting Korea • Tags: cakeshop, dj, electronic music, event photography, Itaewon, Korea, music, party, Seoul, silkjuice

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Sexy Photos of Gwanghwamun Square: Your First Stop When Visiting Seoul

May 10, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

Gwanghwamun should be the start of any visit or travel itinerary in Seoul. While not as vivid as Time Square in New York City, or as overwhelming as downtown Osaka or Tokyo in Japan, Gwanghwamun maintains its own cultural charm that is both vibrant and uniquely Korean. Gwanghwamun features two statues: King Sejong the Great, who popularized the Korean language; and Lee Sun-Sin, the Korean Naval Admiral whose brilliant strategies against Japan reduce Napoleon’s feats in Europe to mere child’s play. […]

Categories: About Korea, landscape, photography, South Korea, travel, Visiting Korea • Tags: Blue House, cheonggyecheon, Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbok Palace, how to spend one day in seoul, Insadong, Jogyesa Temple, King Sejong, lee sun-sin, Nakwon Arcade, Samcheong Dong, Seoul, South Korea, tourism, tourist, travel, visit, what should I see in seoul, where to go in seoul

Seoul: Ugly on the Outside or A Frugal Expat Paradise Inside?

May 9, 2013 by Andy Baxley

돼지 저금통 Andy Baxley is a Seoul-based writer, photographer, and teacher. He writes about “the new art of 20-something prosperity” at Vicenarianism. — Few people would ever consider using “Seoul” and “paradise” in the same sentence, and there’s for good reason for this. Eleven million overworked people living on top of each other in an over-polluted ocean of drab highrise apartment buildings, a mere 120 miles from the world’s best known fear-mongering, nuclear-armed man-child, hardly conjures visions of Shangri-La. […]

Categories: Andy Bax, culture, ESL, investing, money, Seoul, South Korea, Teaching, Vicenarianism, Visiting Korea • Tags: affordable, cheap fun, Doosan Bears, ESL, frugal, Hongdae, Hongik University, how to save money in Seoul, is seoul expensive, Korea, paradise, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Tokyo, Vicenarianism

Finding Expat Love in Korea: A Guide from Someone with No Success.

May 6, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

Lame Advice Regarding Dating Do you ever get bad advice about dating? You know, the advice that is normally provided by older people or your really attractive friends who effortlessly transition from one relationship to the next. It’s the crap that sounds good, but doesn’t make you feel any better. “Love will find you when you’re not looking for it.” “Just focus on improving yourself.” “It wasn’t meant to be.” “There are plenty of fish in the sea.” Is there some […]

Categories: About Korea, blogging, culture, dating, ESL, online dating, Visiting Korea • Tags: asian women, being lonely in korea, dating, dating in korea, esl teachers, Itaewon, Korea, Language barrier, living abroad, online dating, Seoul, South Korea, western men, western women

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The Twelve Best Blogs in South Korea

May 1, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

What Makes a Great Blog? My criteria for the best blogs in Korea revolve around a few concepts. The most important aspect is the blog’s ability to overcome ADHD. When people surf the net, their attention span is shorter than my Korean elementary students learning English when they are high on peppero and finger-deep in a game of Dragon Flight. Second, I’m fairly critical to the appearance of a blog. Since people suffer from ADHD, they are not going to click around […]

Categories: About Korea, blogging, photography, Seoul, South Korea, Visiting Korea • Tags: ask a korean, askakorean, best blogs in south Korea, Black Out Korea, blogging, blogs, Chris in South Korea, discovering korea, eatyourkimchi, farsickness, kickin it in korea, kickinitinkorea, Seoul, Seoul Searching, Seoul State of Mind, South Korea, The Grand Narrative, the marmot's hole, The Wanderlust Project, Zenkimchi

Post-Wife Life and Putting the Pieces Back Together: Victor Zachariou

April 29, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

“I looked up and said, “God, what now? Where do I go from here?” I feel as if I had been living in denial, and reality was settling in. I didn’t hear any audible voice, and I had no one around me at that moment to comfort me, but an answer did come - Korea.” Essay by Victor Zachariou I hung up the phone, sat on my bed, and cried bitterly. I was trying to process the words I had just heard […]

Categories: ESL, Teaching, too old to teach abroad, Visiting Korea • Tags: am I too hold to teach abroad, China, Education, English as a second or foreign language, Korea, over 30, over 40, South Korea, Teaching abroad, Teaching English as a foreign language, too old to teach abroad

The Best Dance Party in Seoul: Shindig! Vol. 13

April 25, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

Two Days of Paradise in 2013 2013 has been an incredibly trying year for me. This year alone, I’ve suffered through a broken ankle, being homeless, almost being deported, and a break-up. Two days after Shindig, doctors discovered a tumor behind my nose that is obstructing my sinus cavities, hearing abilities, and nasal passages. It creates a constant infection, which causes my body to expend extra energy leaving me in a constant state of exhaustion. I’m having a biopsy next […]

Categories: Events, Seoul, Seoul Shindig, South Korea • Tags: 50's, 60's, Club Myoungwolgwan, Dance, Hongdae, Hongik University, Korea, music, party, Seoul, Seoul Shindig

Too Old to Teach Abroad? Meet the ESL Teachers Over 30.

February 15, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

Am I too old to teach English abroad? Isn’t teaching English overseas for people who just graduated from college? Aren’t people teaching overseas only stalling their real careers? Is someone a loser because they teach English abroad for more than two years? Are they losers because they teach overseas in their mid 30′s, 40′s, 50′s or beyond? Don’t people teach English abroad because they can’t handle a real job back home? Answers that Fall Flat These are all real questions […]

Categories: ESL, photography, South Korea, Teaching • Tags: age limits, Career, Education, English as a foreign or second language, ESL, Expatriate, Korea, Teacher, Teaching abroad, Teaching English as a foreign language, Tesl, TOEFL, too old to teach abroad

Hiking Seoraksan: Korea and the Future of Korean Tourism

December 7, 2012 by Brent Sheffield

Tourism in Korea will explode because of one untapped resource – nature. When foreigners (non-Americans) think of New York, they think of uncompromising skyscrapers, broad avenues, plush shopping and a city that never sleeps. They, like most Americans, forget that New York is a massive state that offers much more than a singular city. New York is a state of nature, mountains, and a beautiful drive on the Mohawk Towpath. When individuals in America think of South Korea, they think […]

Categories: About Korea, landscape, photography, South Korea, Visiting Korea • Tags: adventure tourism, Asia, fishing, hiking, nature tourism, Olympic Winter Games, outdoor activities, outdoor tourism, photography, Pyeongchang, Seoraksan, Seoul, ski, skiing in Korea, South Korea, tourism, where to ski in south Korea

The Best Photography of the Cheonggyecheon

September 19, 2012 by Brent Sheffield

( Photos in this post have been published in numerous academic papers across the world. Scroll to the bottom for some of the best photos of the Cheonggyecheon) There tends to be confusion when people write or think about Seoul. Is Seoul one of the new great and must-see cities of Asia; or is it a city plagued by pollution, overpopulation, traffic and stale, archaic architecture? After perusing the Internet, an individual could draw different conclusions. According to a poll […]

Categories: About Korea, landscape, photography, Seoul, South Korea, Visiting Korea • Tags: Asia, cheonggyecheon, directions to the cheongyecheon, photography, places to visit in seoul, Seoul, South Korea, travel, underground river in seoul

How to Make Money Teaching Abroad in Korea

April 1, 2013 by Andy Baxley

Can I Become Wealthy Teaching Abroad? Teaching Abroad will not make you rich. Teaching overseas will provide, however, some unique opportunities to save money. With a safe, easy, and proper investing strategy, even teachers with modest salaries can grow wealthy. If you hate talking about money and investing, Andy and I can completely relate. That’s why we believe it’s essential for all international teachers or individuals earning a modest income to read Millionaire Teacher by Andrew Hallam. He’s an international teacher […]

Categories: investing, money, Visiting Korea • Tags: Andrew Hallam, bonds, how much money can I make teaching abroad, index funds, investing, Korea, Millionaire Teacher, saving, Seoul, stock market, teach abroad

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Silk Juice – Your One Stop for Electronic Music in Seoul

March 29, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

With Silk Juice throwing parties in Seoul, there will be no shortage of electronic music. As a fan of electronic music, I know artists or DJ’s range from being practically mainstream to being extremely . . . weird. Perhaps a better term for “weird” would be underground or groundbreaking. Regardless, electronic music has certainly infiltrated mainstream top 40 over the last few years, even though one of its most annoying forms known as Dubstep has become the primary benefactor. The […]

Categories: Visiting Korea • Tags: Bar, Dance, Electronice Music, events, Exit, Exit Bar, Hongdae, parties, Seoul, Silk Juice, South Korea

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The Small Joys of a Little Taste of Home.

March 14, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

As many of you know, I recently moved to Wangsimni. It’s a really cool area. One of my secret joys of the area, however, is a small sandwich shop which represents the closest semblance of Western food that’s ever been within walking distance from my apartment. I love Korean food, but on some days, nothing else satisfies like a taste of the west. Whether it’s six inches or a footlong, the size doesn’t matter. It’s the contents of the sandwich […]

Categories: Visiting Korea

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Coming Out to Korea: Michael H

March 11, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

“Is this where I thought I would be? Abso-fucking-lutely not. But, I’ll take it for this year and many more to come.” My name is Michael and Atlanta, GA, is where I called home in the US. I have lived in Sanbon (Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi) since August 2011. I have worked at a kindergarten and elementary hagwon the entire time. My second year contract expires in August 2013, but I just extended it this week until March 2014 to serve as […]

Categories: Brent Bytes, ESL, Seoul, South Korea, Teaching, Visiting Korea • Tags: am I too old to teach abroad, Atlanta, College of Charleston, Korea, Seoul, South Korea, too old to teach abroad

Seoul Shindig: Prom 2013

March 8, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

Seoul Shindig has a strong brand and they are known to throw the best themed parties in the capital of South Korea. Their goal is simple: to create a fun atmosphere where people can dress up and cut loose and be reminded of the good ol’ days. As Jerry Stiles, one of the founders of Seoul Shindig said, “People love to think about home and the good times. We bring them back to their Jr. high prom, their parents car, […]

Categories: About Korea, Events, party, photography, prom, Seoul, Seoul Shindig, Visiting Korea • Tags: Club Myoungwolgwan, Hongdae, party, photography, Prom, promotion, Seoul, Seoul Shindig

Harlem Shake vs. Gangnam Style: Kimbap Shop

February 25, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

If you haven’t heard of KimbapShop yet, you need to get to youtube or facebook and check it out. Part teacher, part stand up comedian, and part video enthusiast, George White’s take on Korea is… funny. Kimchibytes is happy to announce we will be collaborating with George on some projects in the near future. George wants to reveal Seoul and Korea for how he sees it – extremely beautiful and partially terrifying. Check out some his work below.

Categories: humor, kimbapshop, monkey attack, Seoul, South Korea, video, Visiting Korea • Tags: children's park, funny, Gangnam Style, George White, harlem shake, humor, kimbap shop, kimbapshop, Korea, moneky attack, Seoul, South Korea

Never too Old for Wanderlust: Ellen Sidorski

February 25, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

“I can’t believe I almost didn’t have these experiences because of my age and the pressure to settle down.” – Ellen Sidorski Essay by Ellen Sidorski I am 34 years old and living and teaching in Korea. I am absolutely in love with this country. Why did I come to Korea at such a “late” age? The answer is pretty simple. When I graduated college, I joined Americorp. It is like Peace Corp, but in America. It brought me to […]

Categories: photography, Seoul, South Korea, Teaching, Visiting Korea • Tags: am I too old to teach aborad, ESL, Gangnam Station, Korea, over 30, Peace Corp, Seoul, South Korea, teach abroad, Teaching English as a foreign language, Tesl, too old to teach abroad

From Computer Programmer to Teaching Abroad: Chris Sutcliffe

February 21, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

“Finally, after a long time of being too chicken shit to do it, I applied to the EPIK program in late 2011.” – Chris Sutcliffe Essay by Chris Sutcliffe Since graduating in 2004, (majoring in Business Computing) I got a job working as a programmer. I enjoyed the work as it was challenging and stimulating, but ultimately, it just wasn’t rewarding. When I was younger, I was lucky enough to travel with my parents to various places around the […]

Categories: About Korea, ESL, Teaching, Visiting Korea • Tags: am I too old to teach abroad, Asia, China, Culture of Korea, EPIK, ESL, Korea, Seoul, Teaching English as a foreign language, too old to teach abroad

Is Country Music the Future of K-pop?

February 20, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

I’m not a huge fan of K-pop, and I definitely don’t like country music. Put them together, however, and you have a more bizarre marriage than Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart – a marriage I’ll gladly watch. Don’t believe me? You will. Even if you don’t like K-Pop or country music, you will watch this video from start to finish. Hey Strollers, when are you guys going to cover this video? The video isn’t that country. They added a banjo, […]

Categories: About Korea, culture, k-pop, South Korea, Visiting Korea • Tags: 2yoon, Asia, Calista Flockhart, Carrie Underwood, Country music, hallyu wave, Harrison Ford, K-pop, Korea, Taylor Swift

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Staying Longer Than Expected: Robert Mathew Adamson

February 19, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

“A lot of those tend to blame Korea rather than themselves, ignoring the fact that many of us are able to thrive here.” -Robert Mathew Adamson Essay by Robert Matthew Adamson One of the first people I met when I got off the plane, so many years ago, told me, “Asia is great – you can reinvent yourself here.” I can’t say for sure if that is what I’ve done, or even what I set out to do, but […]

Categories: Visiting Korea • Tags: age limits, ESL, expat, oul, pat, Seoul, South Korea, too old to teach abroad

Over 30 and Teaching Abroad: Lindsey Nave

February 15, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

Lindsey is the first entry in Kimchibyte’s series of ESL teachers over 30. Her stories will be particularly helpful to those who want to teach abroad, but are also mindful of their careers. “The thought of not having the freedom to travel struck a fear so deep in my being that I began to dismantle the world I had created in Kentucky to prepare for a grand adventure.” -Lindsey Nave Essay by Lindsey Nave My name is Lindsey […]

Categories: ESL, photography, South Korea, Teaching • Tags: am I too old to teach abroad, ESL, Korea, Teaching abroad, Teaching English as a foreign language, Tesl, TOEFL, too old to teach abroad

Best Links of the Week – The Seolall Edition.

February 11, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

Happy Seollal! I hope everyone is enjoying their celebration of the New Year. The great thing about living in Korea is we get to celebrate the New Year twice. Unfortunately, I sprained my ankle last Thursday running over ice to meet Haley for Samgyeopsal. So, I’ve been laying in bed all weekend trying to keep my foot above my heart-no fun. Haley, in the meantime, went to Guam instead of taking care of me:) She’s supposed to edit all the […]

Categories: Visiting Korea • Tags: airlines, commercial, History, Korea, links, photographs, psy, reads, Seoul, soju, South Korea

Bongeunsa Temple: That Temple Across from the Mall

February 9, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

If you find yourself in Gangnam, shopping at the Coex with your girlfriend, there is a place nearby to correct your zen if her shopping addictions get out of hand. Neatly tucked away across the street lies Bongeunsa Temple. The temple is not a must see or something I encourage tourists to visit if they have limited time in Seoul. But, if you find yourself shopping at the Coex or fish gazing at their lovely aquarium, you should take some […]

Categories: About Korea, landscape, photography, Seoul, temple, Visiting Korea • Tags: bongeunusa temple, Buddhism, cafe gurinaru, coex, Jogye Order, Jogyesa, Joseon Dynasty, Korean Buddhism, photography, Seoul, seoul aquarium, temple stay, winter

Unfolding time: How Traveling Increases the Length of Your Life

February 5, 2013 by Andy Baxley

Living in Korea in 2010-11 I had the peculiar feeling that the passage of time was somehow slowing. Everything I’d been told about adulthood suggested that my years would pass in an increasingly brief blink of an eye, and yet, much to my delight, life in Seoul somehow seemed to have a reversing effect. Compared to the fifty-four months I spent in college, which had since become muddled in my memory, each indistinguishable from the next, my twelve months in […]

Categories: Andy Bax, Teaching • Tags: abroad, aging, expat, Jonathan Foer, Korea, perception, psychology, time, travel, William James

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Best Link’s of the Week – February 2nd Edition

February 1, 2013 by Brent Sheffield

These are some of the best reads I found about Korea over the last week. I hope everyone has a great weekend! If you’re partying, enjoy the much improved weather. If you’re an introvert like me, enjoy chillin’ at your home doing whatever it is that us introverts like to do! If you found any other great articles this week, please add them in the comment section. Koreabang- Park Geun Hye is getting married – If you thought Mitt Romney […]

Categories: Visiting Korea

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